Neotropical Ichthyology, 12(4): 737-746, 2014 Copyright © 2014 Sociedade Brasileira de Ictiologia DOI: 10.1590/1982-0224-20140038 A new colorful species of Geophagus (Teleostei: Cichlidae), endemic to the rio Aripuanã in the Amazon basin of Brazil Gabriel C. Deprá1, Sven O. Kullander2, Carla S. Pavanelli1,3 and Weferson J. da Graça4 Geophagus mirabilis, new species, is endemic to the rio Aripuanã drainage upstream from Dardanelos/Andorinhas falls. The new species is distinguished from all other species of the genus by the presence of one to five large black spots arranged longitudinally along the middle of the flank, in addition to the black midlateral spot that is characteristic of species in the genus and by a pattern of iridescent spots and lines on the head in living specimens. It is further distinguished from all congeneric species, except G. camopiensis and G. crocatus, by the presence of seven (vs. eight or more) scale rows in the circumpeduncular series below the lateral line (7 in G. crocatus; 7-9 in G. camopiensis). Including the new species, five cichlids and 11 fish species in total are known only from the upper rio Aripuanã, and 15 fish species in total are known only from the rio Aripuanã drainage. Geophagus mirabilis, espécie nova, é endêmica da drenagem do rio Aripuanã, a montante das quedas de Dardanelos/ Andorinhas. A espécie nova se distingue de todas as outras espécies do gênero pela presença de uma a cinco manchas pretas grandes distribuídas longitudinalmente ao longo do meio do flanco, em adição à mancha preta no meio do flanco característica das espécies do gênero, e por um padrão de pontos e linhas iridescentes sobre a cabeça em espécimes vivos. Além disso, se distingue de todas as espécies congêneres, exceto G. camopiensis e G. crocatus, pela presença de sete (vs. oito ou mais) séries de escamas na série circumpeduncular abaixo da linha lateral (7 em G. crocatus; 7-9 em G. camopiensis). Com a espécie nova existem cinco ciclídeos, e ao todo 11 espécies de peixe conhecidas somente do alto rio Aripuanã, e ao todo 15 espécies de peixe conhecidas apenas da bacia do rio Aripuanã. Key words: Geophagini, Geophaginae, Endemism, Taxonomy, Neotropical Region. Introduction from Dardanelos/Andorinhas falls. The rio Aripuanã is a major right bank tributary of the lower rio Madeira, and the The South American cichlid genus Geophagus Heckel is Dardanelos falls mark its entry into the Madeira floodplain. distinguished by the presence of prolongations of the swim Although it has been little explored, many works recorded bladder into the caudal region that reach past the vertical species of fishes in the upper rio Aripuanã e.g.( , Kullander, through the base of the last anal-fin ray, accompanied by 1990, 1995; Rocha et al., 2008a, 2008b), and the fish fauna a series of supporting caudal ribs (Kullander, 1998). The is distinct from that from the rio Madeira proper and the genus comprises 19 valid species distributed throughout floodplain portion of the rio Aripuanã, as reported by the Amazon and Orinoco river basins, coastal rivers of the Rapp Py-Daniel et al. (2007). The Geophagus from the Guianas, and some coastal basins in the Brazilian states of rio Aripuanã was exported for the ornamental fish market Pará, Maranhão, and Piauí (Kullander, 2003; Stawikowski in 2011 and has been cultivated in aquaria in Europe and & Werner, 2004). North America (Gottwald, 2011). Specimens available to Kullander (1995: 158) reported an undescribed species Kullander (1995) had been collected as early as 1975 and of Geophagus from the rio Aripuanã drainage upstream were not well preserved, thereby delaying the species’ 1Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia de Ambientes Aquáticos Continentais (PEA). Av. Colombo, 5790, 87020-900 Maringá, PR, Brazil. [email protected] 2Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 50007, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden. sven. [email protected] 3Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Limnologia, Ictiologia e Aquicultura (Nupélia). Av. Colombo, 5790, 87020-900 Maringá, PR, Brazil. [email protected] 4Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Departamento de Biologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Limnologia, Ictiologia e Aquicultura (Nupélia), Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Comparada (PGB). Av. Colombo, 5790, 87020-900 Maringá, PR, Brazil. weferson@nupelia. uem.br 737 738 A new colorful species of Geophagus description. However, recent material collected in 2004, Results 2005 and 2013, including live color images, permitted a formal description of the species, which is provided Geophagus mirabilis, new species herein. Figs. 1, 2, 5 Material and Methods Holotype. MCP 48123, 124.1 mm SL, Brazil, State of Mato Grosso, município de Aripuanã, rio Madeira basin, Measurements were taken with digital calipers to rio Aripuanã, 2 km upstream from Dardanelos/Andorinhas the nearest 0.1 mm. Counts of scales, fin rays and gill falls, approximately 10°10’08”S 59°28’00”W, elevation 120 rakers were made under a stereomicroscope. Measurement m, 22 Oct 2005, F. Machado. procedures and counts follow Kullander (1986) and Kullander & Nijssen (1989). Meristic data marked by Paratypes. All from Brazil, State of Mato Grosso, all from an asterisk are the values for the holotype. Numbers in the município of Aripuanã, except when otherwise mentioned, parenthesis after a count value represent the frequency of rio Madeira basin, rio Aripuanã drainage upstream from occurrence in the sample. Osteological characters were Dardanelos/Andorinhas falls. CPUFMT 1886, 2, 100.8- examined in one specimen (NUP 15117, 85.5 mm SL) 108.8 mm SL, collected with the holotype. INPA 1364, cleared and stained (c&s) using the protocol by Taylor 10, 64.1-118.3 mm SL, rio Aripuanã, 26 Sep 1975, F. M. & Van Dyke (1985), supplemented by vertebral counts Carvalho. INPA 1385, 13, 32.6-89.5 mm SL (1, 89.5 mm from nine X-radiographed specimens (INPA 1364). SL), rio Aripuanã, 10°10’00’’S 59°27’34’’W, 8 Nov 1976, Measurements of the lower pharyngeal jaw follow Barel Ichthyology Team of INPA. INPA 39685, 1, 98.5 mm SL, et al. (1977). The term midlateral spot is used herein igarapé Genipapo, tributary to rio Aripuanã 70 km from the according to nomenclature established in early papers falls, Ichthyology Team of INPA. MZUSP 101064, 2, 64.0- (e.g., López-Fernández & Taphorn, 2004), meaning a black 67.0 mm SL, rio Aripuanã, immediately upstream from the marking situated approximately on the middle of the flank falls, 10°12’33”S 59°27’39”W, 6 Apr 2004, C. M. C. Leite, and present in all species of Geophagus, with the exception F. Rosa & N. E. Silva. MZUSP 101074, 8, 65.9-84.1 mm SL of individuals of G. altifrons Heckel, which has been (3, 65.9-84.1 mm SL), immediately upstream from the falls, observed first by Heckel (1840) in its original description. 10°12’33”S 59°27’39”W, 13 Oct 2004, C. M. C. Leite, F. Meristic data of Geophagus altifrons, G. camopiensis Rosa & N. E. Silva. MZUSP 114761, 3, 75.3-118.7 mm SL, Pellegrin and G. megasema Heckel were obtained immediately upstream from the falls, 6 Apr 2005. MZUSP exclusively from comparative specimens examined, since 114762, 25, 19.3-43.9 mm SL, immediately upstream from their original descriptions follow other methodologies, the falls, 6 Apr 2004, F. Machado. F. Machado. NUP 15117, 6 incompatible with the one adopted herein (e.g. Heckel, 1840; (1 c&s, 85.5 mm SL), 19.0-107.8 mm SL (4, 85.5-107.8 mm Pellegrin, 1903). From other species examined and from SL), município de Juína, rio Azul, tributary to rio Aripuanã, those species that are not listed under ‘Material examined’, elevation 280 m, 11°02’11.37”S 59°11’05.18”W, 15 Jan values provided by original descriptions (Kullander & 2013, H. Pains da Silva & C. H. Zawadzki. UFRO-I 21151, Nijssen, 1989; Kullander, 1991; Kullander et al., 1992; 5, 136.0-162.1 mm SL (1, 162.1 mm SL), rio Aripuanã, López-Fernández & Taphorn, 2004; Schindler & Staeck, 10°12’49”S 59°27’26”W, 21 Jul 2013, D. Hungria. UFRO-I 2006; Staeck & Schindler, 2006; Lucinda et al., 2010; 21284, 2, 93.1 and 101.8 mm SL, road between Aripuanã and Hauser & López-Fernández, 2013) or recent redescriptions Juína, 10°39’33”S 59°20’13”W, 21 Jul 2013, W. M. Ohara. (Kullander, 1986; Kullander & Nijssen, 1989) were also UFRO-I 21285, 2, 151.6 and 173.8 mm SL, rio Aripuanã, included, since they were obtained from a different and 10°12’49”S 59°27’26”W, 21 Jul 2013, W. M. Ohara. much wider set of specimens, better representing the actual variability of each species. Non-type material. MZUSP 114760, 32, 8.3-23.8 mm SL. Institutional abbreviations are: CPUFMT, Coleção Brazil. State of Mato Grosso, rio Aripuanã immediately de Peixes da Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, upstream from Dardanelos falls. Cuiabá, Brazil; INPA, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil; MCP, Museu de Ciências Diagnosis. Geophagus mirabilis differs from all other e Tecnologia, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio species in Geophagus by the presence of 2-6 black spots in a Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; MZUSP, Museu de longitudinal row along middle of flank (Fig. 1) in specimens Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; larger than 80 mm SL (vs. a single midlateral spot or spots NMW, Naturhistorisches Museum, Wien, Austria; NRM, absent from flank in individuals of G. altifrons), but spots Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden; other than midlateral spot absent in occasional specimens NUP, Coleção Ictiológica do Núcleo de Pesquisas em up to approximately 80 mm SL; live coloration of adults Limnologia, Ictiologia e Aquicultura, Maringá, Brazil; and with a rich pattern of iridescent blue, round or vermiculate UFRO-I, Coleção Ictiológica da Universidade Federal de marks on the side of head, unique for the genus (Figs.